Maple Fingerboards & Jazz Basses -- A Combo the Pros can Agree on

What do Geddy Lee, Marcus Miller, and countless other bass giants have in common? They all play Fender Jazz Basses with maple fingerboards. Revamped with upgraded electronics and hardware, the American Standard Jazz Bass continues Fender's long legacy of producing some of the most tuneful and playable basses out there. The 2012 release uses Fender Custom Shop pickups to capture all the classic punch and vibe of a '60s era J Bass with enough defined tone to satisfy even the most ravenous J Bass enthusiasts.

Upgraded Electronics

Like the rest of the American Standard series, the 2012 release of the J Bass features high-end pickups straight from the Fender Custom Shop. The dual '60s Jazz Bass single-coils are identical to those used on some of Fender's top-shelf custom basses and offer all the power and tone you'd expect from such prodigious components. The J Bass sound is most commonly associated with smooth lows and punchier mids and highs; the Custom Shop pickups deliver these prized tonal qualities with outstanding character and clarity.

Classic Feel and Style

In addition to the upgraded electronics, the 2012 American Standard J Bass boasts a full complement of other upgrades and enhancements. The neck is a modern C-shaped profile with maple fingerboard endowing this J Bass with a superb feel to match its tone. The undercoating is thinner than in previous years which increases sustain and resonance through the entire bass, as does the redesigned high mass vintage bridge. Rounded out with an array of attractive finishes, the 2012 American Standard carries a vintage vibe worthy of its classic sound.

A classic electric bass if ever there was one, the Fender American Standard Jazz Bass with maple fingerboard combines a set of exciting enhancements with all the fundamental qualities of the J Bass design. For bassists from any genre ready to kick their rig to the next level, this is a hard bass to overlook.

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Fender USA STD Jazz Bass, Maple

The Fender American Standard Jazz electric bass is the same versatile, best-selling instrument it has always been, and it's now upgraded with Fender Custom Shop '60s Jazz Bass single-coil pickups. These amazing Fender Custom Shop pickups provide a powerful punch with refined clarity and definition, everything you want in a Jazz bass! A tinted maple neck gives the American Standard Jazz bass a luxurious look and superb feel.

One of my favorite bass necks of all time would be the Fender Jazz Bass neck. The neck on this bass is simply one of the most comfortable out there. That's a big part of the draw for me on the J Bass -- and to go with that is its classic tone. When I plug in a Jazz Bass, I know I'm going to be able to dial in whatever tone I need. The pickups on this American Standard Jazz Bass make for a very versatile palette to work from. Fender recently upgraded to the '60s pickups from the Custom Shop, making for a hotter sound. I love slapping, fingering, or picking on a J Bass -- all different techniques sound great on it! This Fender American Standard Jazz Bass is a great workhorse that fits most bass players' needs.

Overall:
I was looking at a lot of different basses and brands. I finally decided on the 2012 USA STD Jazz. I have the white one with the maple neck. (I like maple necks). The overall construction and craftsmanship is great. The finish is flawless. I design of the 'string through' bridge is one reason I bought this model. It just seems natural that the string vibration is transferred though the body most completely when the strings go through the body. Also, this relieves bridge stress that normally comes with non-string through designs. The pickups sound great. Even though there is single coil hum when each pickup is on by itself, it's not that big of a deal and is not noticeable during performance. The lighter tuners give a nice balance to the guitar. With me, I already made some modifications (because I'm a fanatic). First, I bought a Fender bridge cover for the Jazz bass. The reason I did this is because some of the set skews on the bridge pads were sticking up rather high after I made some intonation and bridge adjustments. They would actually scratch and cut my hand when I was playing! After installing the Fender bridge cover, I didn't have that problem anymore. It didn't really affect my playing, and it even looks nice and 'retro' with the bridge cover in place. I would highly recommend that. Also, I did a little electronic modifications. I removed the small tone knob and replaced it with a 3 way switch-craft toggle for pickup selection. I then wired the 2 remaining POTS to 'master volume' and 'master tone'. I personally like this configuration and I really think Fender should offer this as an option. If I ever decide to sell this (and I probably won't!), I can always throw the original tone POT back in and bring it to original specs. Another thing Fender should have done is put a neck 'tilt skrew' under the back bolt on plate. This would give players the option to adjust the neck angle just in case they wanted a certain type of action with the neck and bridge height. Right now you are more or less limited to the standard Fender set up specs. These are 'good', don't get me wrong, but I would have liked to add some tilt to the neck because of my playing style. That's about it! I would really recommend one of these. It is beautiful, well built, good sounding, and will hold it's resale value more than any other type of bass. By the way, the hard shell case fits like a glove and is a 'knock-out'. I play this through a MARK 4-10" rig, and it sounds fantastic!

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"Great classic instrument"

Overall:
Purchased this bass about 1 month ago and I've had a hard time puting it down. The features are as straight forward as you can get, and are exactly what I need in a bass guitar. Simple electronics, 2 volumes, 1 tone, nothing fancy, but nothing unnecessary, and the pickups sound great. very vintage tones. The build quality really impressed me, beautiful finish, hardware is of a high quality and excellent woods used. The neck is the real selling point for me, I opted for the maple fretboard and it feels great. Satin finish on the back of neck is comfortable and fast, fret work is impeccable and the rolled edges feel broken in just as advertised. My only complaint on the entire instrument is the neck is a bit pale, I would have liked a bit darker tint but it is in no way an issue. Still a beautiful bass. Highly recommend to anyone wanting a quality American made instrument.

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